HighTower Advisors LLC Lowers Holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its position in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,897,907 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 291,092 shares during the quarter. ExxonMobil comprises about 0.9% of HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $943,082,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in ExxonMobil during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in ExxonMobil by 456.1% in the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in ExxonMobil by 776.9% in the 1st quarter. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

ExxonMobil Stock Up 0.0%

XOM opened at $159.53 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $661.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.53, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.18. ExxonMobil Corporation has a one year low of $108.35 and a one year high of $176.41. The business’s fifty day moving average is $152.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.28.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($0.04). ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 13.14% and a net margin of 8.88%.The firm had revenue of $114.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.94 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. Analysts anticipate that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. ExxonMobil’s payout ratio is presently 53.02%.

Key ExxonMobil News

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices and tighter refining capacity could support near-term earnings. Growth from Guyana and the Permian Basin strengthens ExxonMobil’s production outlook. Can ExxonMobil Benefit From the Current Energy Market Tightness?
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil’s dividend remains a key attraction. The company appears positioned for a 44th consecutive annual payout increase, while second-quarter free cash flow exceeded dividend payments by nearly $13 billion. Management has also indicated that free cash flow could potentially double by 2030. 2 Energy Dividend Stocks With Growing Payouts, Led by ExxonMobil
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investment commentary continues to identify XOM as an attractive value and high-yield income stock, which may support demand from long-term and dividend-focused investors. 2 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Worth Buying Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: The bullish outlook depends heavily on sustained oil prices and refining tightness. ExxonMobil’s latest reported quarter included earnings per share below consensus, although revenue exceeded expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: ExxonMobil was reportedly excluded from a White House meeting with major oil executives focused on gasoline prices, refinery capacity and retail fuel costs. The exclusion was linked to prior political friction over potential investments in Venezuela, creating concerns about regulatory access and political relations. ExxonMobil Was Excluded From a White House Oil Meeting
• Negative Sentiment: A sharp decline in crude prices remains the primary risk to ExxonMobil’s cash flow, earnings and dividend coverage despite its current financial strength. Exxon’s Dividend Looks Safe Today—but What If Oil Prices Tumble?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on XOM. Zacks Research downgraded ExxonMobil from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays decreased their price target on ExxonMobil from $182.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 17th. UBS Group set a $168.00 price objective on ExxonMobil in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho reduced their target price on ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $195.00 to $182.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.45.

ExxonMobil Profile

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is an integrated oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, production, refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products and the manufacture and sale of petrochemicals. Its operations span the full energy value chain, including upstream exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas; midstream transportation and storage; and downstream refining, product distribution and retail. The company also produces a broad range of chemical products for industrial and consumer applications.

ExxonMobil markets fuels and lubricants under well-known brands such as Exxon, Mobil and Esso, and its Mobil 1 motor oil is a prominent consumer product.